Household trash can



Dec. 2l, 1948. J. c. ROGERS ET Al. 2,456,840

HOUSEHOLD TRASH GAN I Filed Jan. 19, l1946` 2 sheets-sheet 1 Dec 23,1945 J. c. ROGERS ET AL. 2,456,840

HOUSEHOLD TRASH CAN Filed Jan. 19, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 21, 1948 UNITED HOUSEHLD TRASH CAN John C. Rogers and Redding Sims, New Orleans, La.

Application January 19, 1946, Serial No. 642,330

6 Claims.

' the can with novel means including an accessible pedal for moving the cover either to open or closed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a household utensil of the character described wherein the cover actuating mechanism, excepting the pedal, is completely enclosed between the can and the shell.

It is a further object oi the invention to provide in a utensil of the character described cover actuating mechanism effective to move and maintain the cover in open position upon one operation of the pedal and to move the cover to closed position upon a succeeding actuation of the pedal.

A further feature` of the invention resides in the provision of cover actuating means which includes a tension member, preferably a coil pull spring, which, upon operation of the pedal will automatically swing the cover to open position and maintain it open until the pedal is again operated whereupon the spring will insure the complete closing of the cover and maintain it in tightly closed position.

The invention also embodies a seal to securely close the space between the upper end oi the can and the shell to prevent the entrance oi foreign matter between the can and the shell.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a household utensil of the character described that is of very compact construction so that it can be conveniently used.

With the above and other objects in View the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specicationand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical, sectional View taken on the line l-l of Figure 4 showing the cover in closed position.

Figure 2 is a similar Viewy showing the cover open.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of theutensil.

Figure 4 is a plan view partly broken away.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken on the line 5-6 of Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the inner can.

Referring now more particularly to the draw- 2 ings wherein like numerals of reerence-designat the same parts in each of the gures, the numeral l designates an outer shell which is substantially open at the bottom but which has the transverse supporting bar 2 at the bottom of the shell whose ends are anchored to the iront and rear wall oi the shell. This bar forms a can support. rEhe shell has a cover 3 hinged to the rear wall thereof.

ln horizontal cross-section the shell is preferably substantially rectangular thus providing a dat rear wall which will fit closely against the wall of the room in which the utensil is located so as to prevent dust collection.

Around the top margin of the shell there is a downwardly and inwardly converging seal ring d.

Numeral 5 designates an inner can which is shaped to nt within the outer shell and rest on the supporting bar t. The upper end oi the can has an outwardly extended rim B which i'its tightly against the seal ring fl when the inner can is' in home position.

Fastened to one side of the shell, near the top thereof, there is an inside bracket l whose lowered end is spaced from the wall of the shell, as more clearly shown in Figure 6, and whose upper end has an inwardly turned stop 8, for a purpose to be hereinafter stated.

Pivotally mounted on the lower end oi the bracket 1 there is a toggle plate 9, one endo which is provided with the 'upstanding lug `lll and whose other end is provided with the upstanding bumper il. Beneath the pivot of the toggle plate it is provided with a lengthwise slot i2 whose ends terminate in the downwardly directed notches i3, i4.

Beneath the toggle plate 9 and in substantial alignment therewith there is an actuating lever l5 one end of which is pivoted to the shell and whose other end I5a is outwardly turned and extends through a vertical slot i6 in the same side of the shell..

A tension member such as a coil spring il is connected, at one end, to the lug lll and whose other end is connected to the actuating lever l5 near the pivoted end thereof and an actuating link f8 is pivotally connected, at its lower end, to the free end of the lever I5 and this link extends up between the wall of the shell and the toggle plate and its other end l8a is overturned and works through the slot l2 and is adapted to engage in the notches i3, M in a manner hereinafter explained.

Secured to one side of the cover 3, near its hinged end, there is a bracket i9 one end of which is spaced outwardly from the cover and is downwardlyturned forming an ear 2li. An actuating y'turned end I8a is above the notch I4.

yit is desired to close the cover 3 the pedal 2t may 3 link 2| is pivotally connected, at its upper end, to the ear 20 and it works through an elongated slot 22 in the seal ring 4 and its other end is pivotally connected to the corresponding end of the toggle plate 9 just beneath the bumper II.

There is an equalizing lever 23 on the inside of the front wall of the shell at the bottom. One end of this equalizing lever is pivoted to the shell and curved to conform to the wall contour of the shell and its other end 23a is turned outwardly through the slot I6.

The ends I5a, 23a of the levers thus coincide, as shown in Figure 5, and pivotally connected to them there is the pedal 24. This pedalmay be of any preferred construction. As shown it is formed of sheet metal with the downwardly turned outer and side margins and with the inwardly extended space lugs 25, 25 which embrace the outwardly turned lever ends ia, 23a and which are pivoted thereto. As shown in Figure 6, the ends Ia, 23a of the levers extend inwardly into the pedal which rests on saidends.

With the shell cover 3 closed, `as shown in Figure 1, upon a slight pressure on the pedal, the outwardly turned end lila of the link I8 will be seated in the notch I3 land the toggle plate 9 will be rotated on its pivot.y The spring .I1 is underltension and `when it passes center it will exert a pull on the toggle plate 9 and without eiort on the part of the operator the cover v3 will be lifted to open position by the spring I'I. The bumper II will eventually` contact with the Ystop 8 to limit the range of -movement of the cover, as indicated in Figure 2. When the pedal ,isreleased the overturned end I8a of the link I8 will be lifted, or unseated, from the notch I3, by -the pull of the spring I'I acting on the lever I5 and as the position of the toggle plate 9 is reversed lfrom theposition shown in Figure l to the position shown in Figure 2 the overturned end I 8a will move along the slot I2 in the direction indicatedby the arrow in Figure 2 until the over- When be again depressedcausing the overturned end c I8a of the link I8 to seat in the notch I4 and exert a'pull-on the toggle plate 9 moving it in a reverse direction and when the spring I-`I has .again passed center it will automatically operate to continue the movementof the cover 3 to closed position. Upon release of the pedal the pull of vthegsprin'g I'I `acting through the lever I5 and 'thelink :|18 will unseat-the overturned end I 8a .replaced in the shell.

The shell and can fare ypreferably formed of sheetfmaterialsuch assheet metal and the cover operating mechanism is also preferably formed of .metal lalthoughitistobe understood that all vof .these parts maybe formed of any suitable material.

The drawings and description are illustrative merely while `the broad principle of the invention Awill be `deiined by the appended claims.

What we claim is: 1. VA `utensil comprising, a container, a cover pivotally mounted on the container, a member mounted lto rotate'on the container and having `eccentric seats, oscillatable means on the con- .and closed position as said member oscillates,

and yieldable means connected ltovsaid member and arranged to impart the iinal cover-opening movement to said member.

2. A utensil comprising, a container, a cover pivotally 'mounted on the container, a member mounted Vto rotate on the container and having eccentric seats, oscillatable means on the container accessible to an operator, a shiftable con nector attached tosaid means, means on the connector engageable alternately with said seats, as the'oscillatable means is successively operated to oscillate said member, a connector1 attached to the cover and eccentrically'connected to said member and effective to move the cover to open and closed position as said member oscillates, and a tension element ccnnectedto said oscillatable means and also connectedto said vmember at a point which is'eccentric of the axis of rotation of link pivotally connected to the cover and eccentrically connected to said plate andpeiective to move the vcover to open and closed position as said member oscillates, and means for limiting the movement of the `cover towardopen position.

4. A utensilcomprising, a container having a side slot at its lowerend, a cover hingedto rthe container, a toggle plate mounted vto rotate Von the containerr and'having a lengthwise slot beneath its pivot whose ends terminate in downwardly directed notches, astop v'fastened to the wall ofthe container, an upstandinglug on one end of the vtoggle plate vanda bumper on the other end of said plate, ,said lug and bumper being arranged on oppostesides of the stop, an actuating lever one end kof Vwhich is .pivoted to the container-and whose otherV end is outwardly turned through .said container slot, a tension member connected vat one end to said lug and whosecthenend is-connectedto said lever, a linkoneend of whichis pivotally con- ,nected to saidlever and whose other end is over- .et securedto` one sideof the cover adjacent the hinge, one-endof saidbracket being spaced outwardly from the cover and downwardly turned formingv an ear, anactuating link pivotally connected, at one end, to said ear and whose other end is pivotallyconnected vto the toggle plate beneath `said fbumper.-

5. A utensilcomprising, a container having a side slot at its lowerfendfa cover hinged ktothe container, fa toggleplategmounted to rotate on the container and ghavingallengthwise Slotbeneath'its .pivot whose Vendsterminate in downwardly directed Lnotches, ra stop 4fastened to l.the

wall of the container, an upstanding lug on one end of the toggle plate and a bumper on the other end of said plate, said lug and bumper being arranged on opposite sides of the stop, an actuating lever one end oi which is pivoted to the container and whose other end is outwardly turned through said container slot, a tension member connected at one end to said lug and whose other end is connected to said lever, a link one end of which is pivotally connected to said lever and whose other end is overturned and works through the slot in the toggle plate and is engageable in said notches, a bracket secured to one side of the cover adjacent the hinge, one end of said bracket being spaced outwardly from the cover and downwardly turned forming an ear, an actuating link pivotally connected, at one end, to said ear and whose other end is pivotally connected to the toggle plate beneath said bumper, an equalizing lever pivotally connected to the front wall of the container on the inside thereof adjacent the bottom of the container and whose other end is outwardly turned through the slot in the container wall, the adjacent ends of the actuating lever and equalizing lever being in coinciding relation and a pedal accessible to an operator and pivotally connected to, and resting upon, said coinciding ends.

6. A utensil comprising, a container having a side slot at its lower end, a cover hinged to the container, a toggle plate mounted to rotate on the container and having a lengthwise bearing beneath its pivot whose ends terminate in downwardly directed notches, an actuating lever one 6 end of which is pivoted to the container and whose other end is outwardly turned through said slot, a tension member connected at one end to said toggle plate and whose other end is connected to said lever, a link one end of which is pivotally connected to said lever and whose other end is overturned and Works in said bearing and is engageable in said notches, an actuating link pivotally connected, at one end, to the cover and whose other end is pivotally connected to an end of the toggle plate, an equalizing lever pivotally connected to the front wall of the container on the inside thereof adjacent the bottom of the container and whose other end is outwardly turned through the slot in the container wall, the adjacent ends of the actuating lever and equalizing lever being in coinciding relation and a pedal accessible to an operator and mounted on said coinciding ends.

JOHN C. ROGERS. REDDING SIMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 948,737 McKee et a1 Feb. 8, 1910 1,203,987 Davis Nov. 7, 1916 1,651,220 Nelson Nov. 29, 1927 1,714,332 Ullrich May 21, 1929 2,246,975 Geibel June 24, 1941 2,308,398 Stevens Jan. 12, 1943 2,354,927 Propernick Aug. 1, 1944 

